German brand's local arm leading the charge for a Mercedes-Benz X-Class rival.

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Australia calling for BMW to build a ute

Australia is leading a charge to convince BMW management in Munich to produce a luxury ute to compete in an increasingly gentrified segment where long held rules are being bent and broken.

Hot on the heels of the soon-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz X-Class - a premium dual-cab to compete with everything from the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger to the Volkswagen Amarok - BMW Asia Pacific chief Hendrik von Kuenheim says a ute is something he regularly requests from the brand’s German headquarters.

“The market and the customer demand is changing,” says von Kuenheim.

There is currently no plan for a BMW ute – the company has played with sports ute concepts over the years, but never got close to producing one - and nothing likely to be added to the pipeline short term.

But von Kuenheim clearly sees a market and is supportive of the ute push; the cover for his smartphone even has a picture of a mythical BMW ute spraying soft sand as it carves into a corner.

BMW's local arm wants a dual-cab ute to compete with the upcoming X-Class. Photo: Supplied

However, he says there is a question of exactly what form a BMW ute would take.

The trucks that work well in the United States are much bigger than those sold in Australia.

He said the company would have to decide whether to produce an extra large ute – with appeal to America – or something smaller that works in markets such as South America, South Africa and Australia.

However, he hinted any BMW ute would be a very different proposition to the X-Class, a car that will be built by Nissan in Spain using the architecture of the Navara.

While Mercedes-Benz will offer luxury variants, the X-Class is also expected to have a utilitarian flavour, something von Kuenheim says is not suited to a luxury brand.

“When you look now at our German competitor from Stuttgart [Mercedes-Benz], I think that product [X-Class] is appalling,” said von Kuenheimer. “You would have expected something more serious … not very much Mercedes-like.”

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So expect a BMW ute - if it were to happen - to be sportier and more car like than the workhorses that characterise the dual-cab market.

Whereas the Mercedes is based on the architecture of a commercial vehicle, any BMW ute could utilise the architecture of a passenger car, in turn sacrificing some load lugging ability for pace and driving enjoyment.

BMW Australia chief Marc Werner has long been lobbying senior management at head office for a ute.

“It makes perfect sense,” he said. “There is room for a pure luxury pickup, call it a luxury ute, which is not there at this point in time.

“I believe our company could actually play a crucial in order to fill that particular niche but it’s a question of time when this will actually happen.”

While Australia would love a ute it is not alone among key markets calling for a BMW ute.

“It has to be a collaborative approach across Australia, South Africa, Russia, Brazil and those kind of markets where the pickup segment is almost exploding,” said Werner.

Von Kuenheimer is realistic, though, and admits other projects will take priority.

"We have many more segments to explore ... the pickup is maybe not the number one priority," he said, while clearly refusing to give up on pushing internally. He added that the billions being poured into electric and autonomous cars made car makers focus on the priorities more effectively.

"There are, however, a lot of people at BMW who say when they retire they would love to have a pickup!"

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2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class

Drive Comments

JB | 14 Sep 2017 00:54

We eventually ran with SUV in placed of 4WD so how long can it before the term ute is similarly relegated and we are instead referring to such vehicles as dool-cab pickups.

The truth | 14 Sep 2017 01:38

BMW having a tantrum due to NOT having a vehicle in that segment of the market, and that segment being one of the biggest sellers in the US and Australia? Mercedes have had the luxury versions of G-wagen for yonks.
No one is stopping BMW from producing one, by partnership, or on their own.

Paul Findlay The truth | 14 Sep 2017 12:03

MB should have designed something off the G Wagon running gear rather than rebadge a Nissan. It would have been truely awesome.

chris s | 14 Sep 2017 02:32

I fear we are being suxed in again, Make no mistake the Nissan are good vehicles, but surely its folly to re badge it, the question with BMW is which current offering will they re badge, if you think they will build a new purpose designed ''Truck'' your kidding
PS my neighbour has a new Merc hatch she thinks its a merc its no, we all know they are re badged Nissan so why do we pay an extra $15k for a badge so she can park it in the drive way

The truth | 14 Sep 2017 03:25

If W wanted, they could borrow the chassis of a Range Rover, given that they own the marque.

AK | 14 Sep 2017 04:42

JB, didn't we run with SUV because most of them aren't 4WD?

thisguy | 14 Sep 2017 05:57

JB, these vehicles are not utes i.e. they are not sedan based coupe utility vehicles, in the manner of the Commodore or Falcon utes. These are trucks, not utes. To call anything with a tray out the back a ute is misleading.

stevecro thisguy | 14 Sep 2017 09:43

hardly misleading. People know what they are seeing and what they want to use them for. They are the new definition of ute since the old style no longer lives - it had morphed into some strange sports car anyway, totally ditching its utility when it stopped crrying loads and dropped to almost road base height. Another time, another product .... the people have spoken

stevecro | 14 Sep 2017 09:40

just to join the silly argument - if people call these vehicles utes then that's what they are. Our language changes, those who bemoan the loss of Falcon and Commodore utes can feel hurt, upset, insulted all they like but it won't change things one iota. Utes are utility vehicles with a huge number of uses. Ironically, the now defunct Aussies utes forget that when they started to want to be sports cars with little load carrying ability. This new breed of ute is really a ute in every sense of the word

Gary Quinlan | 14 Sep 2017 13:31

@The truth. BMW hasn't owned Range Rover, Land Rover et al for a long time. They are part of Jaguar Land Rover which is owned by Tata of India

Gary Quinlan | 14 Sep 2017 13:34

Take away the FBT free benefit of these type of vehicles and watch sales of all but the genuine tradie version sink like a stone!

Peter Saunders{ | 14 Sep 2017 20:58

JB: An SUV is not a 4WD, in the full context of the meaning. Take both for a short run up a dry, rocky, sandy creek bed and the difference will quickly become apparent.

Sidney Mincing | 14 Sep 2017 23:09

BMW, should they build a ute, would probably have the tub droop to the rear like their appalling X6 4x4 because they simply have no idea of the true term 'utility' and are fashion-controlled.

David M | 14 Sep 2017 23:32

or something smaller that works in ....... Australia Don't you love it when they bring out this old line, like we have a choice here with no manufacturer offering a reasonably priced extra large ute.

dry fruits online | 15 Sep 2017 05:08

nice one thank you for sharing..

dry fruits online | 15 Sep 2017 05:08

nice one thank you for sharing..

DJM61 | 19 Sep 2017 06:22

Yeah an M5 with a tray. G-Wagen dates from 1979. Live axle for front suspension like in the 1880s.